Kampala City Streets Get “Scrappy” With Art

Uganda Sun 29-06-2008

Kampala City Streets Get “Scrappy” With Art
By Ben Bukenya/AfricanColours.com

The Kampala Street Art Festival once again came to the attention of the art world in June with a stunning visual display of contemporary Ugandan art. More than 100 guests gathered on Saturday the 14th of June for the Pre-Party presided over by the German Ambassador in Uganda.

An artist at work at a street Kampala

First in the Cycle

The Kampala Street Art festival was initiated in 2007 by Uganda Artists Association (UAA) in collaboration with the Uganda German Cultural Society (UGCS). The idea was to stimulate the public’s interest in the arts. The programme was branded “LABA!” (meaning ‘to see’) with a graphic symbol of the eye to signify vision.

The first project (LABA’07) was “Pot in the Hole” and here artists used a mixture of plaster of Paris and cement to make casts of eight of Kampala's most "beautiful" potholes. These were painted in a variety of social and political themes, exhibited in the gallery at the Uganda German Cultural Centre and now stand in the gardens of the German and French Embassies.

Second in the Cycle

This year Kampala Street Art festival (LABA’08) was under the theme "From Scrap to Art". The gala was again jointly organized by UGCS and UAA with remarkable backing from visual and performing artists, sponsors and the public. The one day event was held along

The purpose of this event was to arouse the interest in the arts of the general public and create possibilities for interaction between the public and artists in a relaxed atmosphere. It was also intended to show that it does not always require expensive materials to do art, but art can be created from “anything” with one’s own imagination.

According to Roberta Wagner- Friedrichsen (director UGCS), “art pulls people together; the event is aimed at uniting artists, the community and the general public as they participate in and appreciate the various art activities”.

There were related activities including fashion shows, live performances (music and dance). Artworks from popular contemporary artists were displayed for sale at affordable prices.

An array of Kampala’s young and upcoming artists well attended the festival and these were actively involved in all happenings of the event. The likes of David Kigozi, Edison Mugalu, Sadat Nakibinge, Ismail Damba, Hood Juuko, Vicent Kiganda, Henry Ssegawa, Felix Magima, Stella Atal, Julius Katende and Samson Senkaaba played an integral part in giving character to the day.

In the Middle of the road

A total of 31 stalls were set up on either side of the street to house small studios, showrooms, coffee shops, craft shops restaurants, and only one bar. The space in between the tents was the actual breadth of the street and this provided an arena for creativity. Scrap metal -sculptures were placed at either end of the festival space to cut off the traffic.

People brought with them their own ‘material’ (the scrap) and created art pieces with the guidance of local artists.

According to one of the initiating artists, Henry Mujunga, “Scrap does not only relate to metal, but also discarded plastic, fabric, paper, tissue, mention it. I am applying used clothes from Owino market” for my piece today.

The festival was in the centre of the street where two banners were laid with paint cans and brushes for everyone to paint. In-process sculpture pieces were placed at intervals along the street while being worked on. One of great attraction was Ssegawa’s kinetic piece made out of old fly wheels of a car engine aesthetically welded together standing on a rotating base.

The other was Xenson’s dazzling outfit, a dress made out of used Coca-Cola cups. Some craft shops were selling their products a few of which were made on site.

Towards the southern end was the stage where Thishla, Soul beat Africa, Baxmba Waves, Sundiata, Angela Kalule, and dancers; Breakdance project, Okulamba Dance Theater and In Movement performed to electrify the audience.

Scrappy out of reason

Art and culture organizations were sparsely represented; very few institutions like Goethe Institute, UGCS, Alliance Françoise, Let Art Talk and School of Industrial and Fine Arts (Makerere University) actively took part. Small Galleries; Casalina Art Gallery, Mama Moze Gallery, and a few studio groups; Gecko Studios, Xenson.com, Peter Otim studio occupied stalls.

Come third in the cycle, big names like Nommo Gallery, Tulifanya Gallery, Design Agenda, Kyambogo University, Nyanzi Art studio, Ujuzi Art Studio, Kwetu Africa, Ngoma and the likes of National Council for Culture, Ministry of Culture may get on board… Amen

LABA’08 was proudly sponsored by The Royal Dutch Embassy, German Embassy, Goethe-Institute, Iguana Bar & Lounge, Alliance Française, Sadolin Paints, Freedum, Capital Radio and Radio One.

Bukoto Street, part of which was only open for pedestrians, artists and the general public to create and appreciate artworks.

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